If you are not burning an M-Disc, then burn temporary discs. Even the best purple painted discs have a lifespan of around 5-7 years. M-Discs have a lifespan of 1,000 years, so being able to record them is essential. (We're using white M discs for printing and an Epson printer that can print to discs.) Revain's image shows a nice green LED light. Unfortunately, they switched to a piercing blue light. Blue light should always be avoided in such applications. Red or Green is what you need. As a retired electrical engineer, I was curious to take a look inside. You can unscrew one screw, but it requires a lot of force on the case to open it. I decided not to risk it. I don't like designs that make it difficult to get into the case. If the optical drive fails, it would be nice to be able to get in and replace it. As for the optical engine inside, the system report for my 2019 Mac Pro shows that the manufacturer is "Buffalo" and not "Pioneer" (there's nothing wrong with Pioneer in my opinion). I don't know if the Hollywood cartel killed the firmware or not. I only burn M-Disc DVD and Blu-ray, haven't tried anything with higher capacity. The package includes some disc burning software. If you're using a Mac, none of this is required. If the activity LED was green instead of blue and the case was easier to open, I would give it 5 stars. To be honest nobody makes optical cases right. The OWC case is excellent except that it is 1/4 inch shorter than Pioneer's longer drives. I was hoping this Buffalo block would replace the OWC cases we usually buy. However, I can't justify the move to Buffalo due to the difficulty of spotting them. Surprisingly, there is no power button on the case! I'm seeing this for the first time. For the average home user, the Buffalo block is a good choice. With the above shortcomings, I conclude that the device actually works as advertised. The product is made in Japan, not in China.
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